CVE-2023-1436 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE-2023-1436 article provides detailed information about the vulnerability in Jettison that triggers infinite recursion, leading to a denial of service.

Understanding CVE-2023-1436

This section delves into what CVE-2023-1436 entails and its potential impact on systems.

What is CVE-2023-1436?

CVE-2023-1436 involves an infinite recursion issue in Jettison. Specifically, when constructing a JSONArray from a Collection that contains a self-reference in one of its elements, it triggers an infinite recursion loop. Consequently, this recursion loop results in a StackOverflowError exception being thrown, leading to a denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-1436

The impact of CVE-2023-1436 is categorized by a medium severity base score of 5.9. The vulnerability's CVSS v3.1 metrics highlight the high attack complexity, network-based attack vector, and high availability impact. While the confidentiality and integrity impacts are deemed none, the exploit does not require any special privileges from the user. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction, making it crucial to address promptly.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-1436

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into CVE-2023-1436, including its vulnerability description, affected systems, versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Jettison triggers an infinite recursion loop when constructing a JSONArray from a Collection containing a self-reference in one of its elements. This recursion loop causes a StackOverflowError exception, leading to a denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected package identified in this CVE is "org.codehaus.jettison:jettison" with a version less than 1.5.4. Specifically, version 0 of the Maven package is impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit CVE-2023-1436 by crafting a specific JSONArray from a Collection with a self-reference element, triggering the infinite recursion loop and causing a denial of service through a StackOverflowError exception.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-1436 effectively, organizations and users should implement the following mitigation and prevention measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Jettison package to version 1.5.4 or higher, where the vulnerability has been addressed.
Monitor for any abnormal behavior or denial of service occurrences that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.
Consider implementing network-level protections to mitigate potential attacks leveraging this vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software packages and dependencies to ensure vulnerabilities are promptly patched.
Conduct security assessments and code reviews to identify and address any potential recursion or denial of service vulnerabilities.
Educate developers and users on secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from Jettison and related vendors to apply patches promptly. Regularly check for security-related announcements and updates to protect systems from known vulnerabilities.